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Thank You Team!!!

As everyone surely knows we had a seven member undergraduate medical education (UGME)accreditation team here from Sunday evening to Wednesday afternoon. They reviewed our UGME program on behalf of the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS). Our reviewers were collegial, collaborative, gracious and diligent and we thank them sincerely in helping us with our ongoing commitment to continuous quality improvement of our UGME program, and service to our students. Outcomes must wait until early next summer when we will receive a report from CACMS and LCME (our American partner).

But the important thing is that we had an enormous successful visit delivered by an incredible team. I can’t emphasize enough the pride I have in our students, faculty and staff for the superbly professional way they organized and delivered the visit. I saw enthusiasm, pride, exceptional teamwork and mutual support. I saw incredible diligence in preparation. I saw incredible commitment to our students. Everyone spoke the language of continuous quality improvement. And did I mention teamwork? Teamwork across campuses, across organizational units, amongst students, faculty, staff, and CoM leaders. The teamwork was a joy to watch and a very positive indicator for our future as we are becoming a “high-performing team”.

Furthermore, the accreditors commented on the enthusiasm and commitment of our faculty and students, and the exceptional organization of the visit.

I hesitate to single people out because everyone that participated did a wonderful job but must mention a few for their exceptional work and leadership: Darla Schiebelbein, our event coordinator, led all of the planning and delivery of meeting logistics and her work was flawless (right down to finding a Coffee Crisp for one fussy member of the CoM team). Marianne Bell stepped up in December as the incredible team player she is and did an exceptional job as our accreditation specialist – incredibly organized and totally unflappable,she did a great job. Sinead McGartland, our director of projects and planning, took on the critical role of visit preparation and all of the participants know what an excellent job was done (although some thought they were over-prepared ). Dr. Athena McConnell with her subtle humour, incredible work ethic and attention to detail was an inspiring leader to the entire accreditation team. And finally the entire UGME team, including staff, Assistant Deans, Admissions, Students Affairs, faculty curricular leads, and committee members were all very ably led by our Associate Dean UGME, Dr Pat Blakley. Pat and her team have done wonderful work in delivering a new innovative curriculum and supporting our students.

As I said there are so many others – health system leaders were exceptional in their support, residents shone through as the enthusiastic teachers they are, IT services were flawless, Dean’s Office staff pitched in when needed, the custodian on the first floor went above and beyond the call of duty to present the accreditors’ space perfectly, etc. It all could not have been done better.

We showed we have a great UGME program and support our students, which is what accreditation is all about. But for the future what really is significant to me is how we came together as a College and a team to get the job done.

I go off to AAMC of faculty development and meetings in Boston for a few days with great pride in all of you and our UGME program and students.

On behalf of the CoM and the U of S congratulations and thanks to all of you. You are awesome!!